Firearm accessory mounting system

ABSTRACT

A firearm accessory mounting system includes a mounting assembly coupled to a firearm accessory, a mounting fastener, and a mounting bolt. The mounting fastener is rotatable between a locked positioned and an unlocked position. The mounting bolt is coupled to the mounting fastener for rotating the mounting fastener between the locked position and the unlocked position.

BACKGROUND

The subject invention generally concerns firearm equipment. Moreparticularly, e present invention relates to an accessory mountingsystem for a firearm.

Firearm users have long desired ways to flexibly enhance thefunctionality of stock firearms. As a result, modern day firearms likethe AR-15 and M-16 often feature an accessory rail capable of receivingone or more accessories such as a flashlight or sling mount. In mostfirearm designs, the accessory rail is either coupled to or permanentlyintegrated with the barrel, upper receiver, handguard, or forestock ofthe firearm. The most well-known accessory rail is the Military Standard1913 Picatinny Arsenal rail, commonly referred to simply as a “Picatinnyrail.” Although the Picatinny rail is still commonly used today, firearmdesigners have also begun producing other types of rails, includingmodular external accessory rails. One such modular external accessoryrail is the KeyMod™ rail designed by Eric Kincel and VLTOR WeaponSystems of Tucson, Ariz.

To date, firearm users have typically coupled firearm accessories toaccessory rails by using a traditional “screw and nut” method. Whenusing the traditional screw and nut method, a user must align threadedholes in the accessory with a corresponding hole, groove, slot, or otheropening in the accessory rail. There are several ways in which theaccessory may be installed before it is secured in place by the screwand nut. After having aligned the accessory with the rail, the user mustplace a screw in each threaded hole and tighten the screw until itcompresses the accessory against the rail. The tension applied by thecompressed screw and nut holds the accessory in place against theaccessory rail. One example of a firearm accessory that requires use ofthe screw and nut method is the QD Direct Attach Swivel Mount sold byNoveske Rifleworks LLC of Grants Pass, Oreg. Another example is theKeyMod QD RL Sling Mount sold by Impact Weapons Components, LLC ofTimnath, Colo.

Other methods of coupling firearm accessories to accessory rails utilizeslide-on mechanisms. In many cases, the top of the accessory contains agroove into which the bottom edge of a correspondingly shaped accessoryrail slides. When using the slide-on method, a user must slide theaccessory onto the rail. After doing so, the user must effectively“lock” the accessory in place to prevent further sliding along the rail.In many cases, the user must do so by tightening a “screw-core” lockingmechanism that runs through the accessory. When tightened sufficiently,the screw-core protrudes from the accessory into a corresponding hole inthe accessory rail. Having been fitted within the hole in the accessoryrail, the protruding portion of the screw-core then impedes any furthermovement of the accessory along the rail.

A similar method relies on a rotatable accessory body. When using therotatable body method, rather than having to slide the accessory into agroove in the accessory rail, the user must rotate the body of theaccessory onto the edge of the rail before locking it into place using ascrew-core mechanism. Another method features a thumb knob in place ofthe screw discussed above, while yet another requires the use ofmoveable clamps or throw-level tensioning devices to hold the accessoryin place against the accessory rail.

Although adequate in some scenarios, each of the above methods suffersfrom one or more limitations. Some are less than optimal because theyrequire the use of coupling mechanisms that feature numerous movingparts. When coupling mechanisms feature numerous moving parts, they aremore expensive to manufacture and ultimately to purchase as a consumer.The use of many moving parts also increases the likelihood of mechanicalfailure. Other methods are sub-optimal because they rely on couplingdevices that, after having been installed, protrude from the firearm andrisk getting snagged on clothing, equipment, or other nearby objects.Other methods are limited in their usefulness simply because they areinconvenient, is time-consuming and not user-friendly, and/or difficultfor users to perform. This is especially detrimental under conditionswhere ease of use and speed are essential, such as when the user isactively engaged in combat, self-defense, or law enforcement activities.Given such limitations, there is a need in the firearm community forimproved methods and systems of coupling various types of firearmaccessories to a firearm.

The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identifiedabove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated asthe same becomes better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for couplingvarious types of firearm accessories to a firearm;

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary system forcoupling various types of firearm accessories to a firearm;

FIG. 2B is a side view of an exemplary system for coupling various typesof firearm accessories to a firearm;

FIG. 2C is a top view of an exemplary system for coupling various typesof firearm accessories to a firearm;

FIG. 3 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of a firearm accessorymounting system according to the present invention with a first versionof a mounting fastener that includes a T-head and a relatively longdiamond-shaped body;

FIG. 4 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of a firearm accessorymounting system according to the present invention with a second versionof a mounting fastener that includes a T-head, a cylindrical reliefsection, and a relatively short diamond-shaped body;

FIG. 5 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of a firearm accessorymounting system according to the present invention with a third versionof a mounting fastener that includes a doubt T-nut configuration;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a firearm accessory mounting systemaccording to the present invention with a fourth version of a mountingfastener that includes a T-head, a relatively small relief section, anda relatively short diamond-shaped body;

FIG. 7 is a side, partially cut-away and cross-sectional view of thefirearm accessory mounting system of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the firearm accessory mountingsystem shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a firearm accessory in the form of ahand grip including the first version of a mounting fastener illustratedin FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the firearm accessory shownin FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the firearm accessory shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the firearm accessory taken along sectionline 12-12 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the firearm accessory shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the first version of a mountingfastener illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the first version of a mounting fastenerillustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 16 is a perspective exploded view of a firearm accessory in theform of a hand grip including the second version of a mounting fastenerillustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the second version of a mountingfastener illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the second version of a mounting fastenerillustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a firearm accessory in the form of asling mount including the fourth version of a mounting fastenerillustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a firearm accessory in the form of apistol grip including the second version of a mounting fastenerillustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a firearm accessory in the form of asling mount including the fourth version of a mounting fastenerillustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a firearm accessory mounting systemincluding the third version of a mounting fastener illustrated in FIG.5.

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the firearm accessorymounting system shown in FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a sectional view of the firearm accessory mounting systemshown in FIG. 22;

FIG. 25 is a side view of the firearm accessory mounting system shown inFIG. 22;

FIG. 26 is a section view of the firearm accessory mounting system shownin FIG. 25 and taken along section line 26-26; and

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the third version of a mountingfastener illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 28 is a side view of the third version of a mounting fastenerillustrated in FIG. 5.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention overcomes some of the disadvantages of known bettingsystems by providing, among other things, systems and methods forcoupling various types of firearm accessories to a firearm. Firearmaccessories coupled to firearms using the methods and systems disclosedherein may enjoy substantially lower profiles than many accessoriescurrently on the market. In various embodiments, because the head of thecoupling member is disposed inside rather than outside the accessoryrail, less material is exposed and positioned to cut the user or becomesnagged on equipment or environmental objects. These types of“high-speed low-drag” features are particularly sought after formilitary and law enforcement applications. The low profile may alsoresult in a substantially smoother and more appealing aesthetic finish.

Although certain embodiments of those methods and systems are discussedherein, it should be understood that they are exemplary only and in noway limit the scope of the present disclosure. Persons of ordinary skillin the art will readily recognize that the present disclosure suggestsmany other possible embodiments in addition to those expressly describedherein. For instance, it should be readily apparent to persons ofordinary skill in the art that the methods and systems described hereinare suitable for coupling many types of accessories, such as hand grips,flashlights, vertical grips, supplemental rail panels, or any number ofother firearm accessories. It should also be readily apparent to personsof ordinary skill in the art that the methods and system describedherein are equally applicable to other types of accessory rails, such asthe standard Picatinny rail. In other words, it is contemplated that thesystem and methods disclosed herein may be used to attach any firearmaccessory to any type of accessory rail.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for couplingvarious types of firearm accessories to a firearm. In an embodiment, amethod 100 of coupling a firearm accessory to a firearm may inserting ahead of a coupling member through a first region of a void disposed inan accessory rail of the firearm at step 110. The void may have a secondregion with an area less than the area of the first region. The head mayhave a diameter that fits through the first region of the void but notthrough the second region of the void. The first region and the secondregion may each of which may be defined by a distinctly sized hollowarea. In some embodiments, the first and second regions of the accessoryrail may be part of a common void. In embodiments wherein the area ofthe second region is less than the area of the first region, objects ofa certain diameter may pass through the first region without being ableto pass through the second region.

Method 100 may further include moving a threaded body of the couplingmember into the second region of the void at step 120. The threaded bodymay have a drive region disposed at an end opposite the head. The headmay not include a drive region or any interface for a screwdriver orother tool. In some embodiments, the coupling member may be an invertedscrew. Method 100 may also include positioning a firearm accessory suchthat the threaded body of the coupling member protrudes into a threadedhole of the firearm accessory at step 130. The threaded hole may have adiameter and thread complementary to the diameter and thread of thethreaded body of the coupling member.

At step 140, method 100 may further include driving the threaded body ofthe coupling member into the threaded hole of the firearm accessory suchthat the coupling member and firearm accessory are compressed againstthe accessory rail.

The accessory rail may be a standard or modified Picatinny rail, amodular external accessory rail that mates with firearm accessories andmay have a keyhole configuration (e.g., a Key Mod™ rail), or any othersuitable type of accessory rail. For illustrative purposes, the figuresdisclosed herein depict embodiments in a context wherein the firearmaccessory is a sling mount. It should be clearly understood, however,that the methods and systems may also be used with any other suitablefirearm accessory, such as a flashlight, a scope, a laser sight, a grip,a supplemental Picatinny rail panel, or a supplemental modular externalaccessory rail panel that mates with firearm accessories (e.g., asupplemental Key Mod™ rail panel).

In some embodiments, driving the coupling member into the firearmaccessory such that the coupling member and firearm accessory arecompressed against the accessory rail may not require using a nutcomplementary to the coupling member. For instance, in one embodiment,the coupling member may be an inverted screw or similar fasteningdevice. The inverted screw may include a head and a threaded body.Unlike a conventional screw, which features a drive region at the headof the screw, the inverted screw may feature a drive region disposed inthe threaded body at the end opposite the head. The drive region may bea female depression or hole that mates with a correspondingly shapedmale member, such as the head of a hex or “Allen” wrench, a six lobedrive, a screwdriver, or other suitable driving tool.

In some embodiments, the complementary threads of the threaded body andthreaded hole may be reverse threads. The threads of conventional screwsare designed such that the application of a rotational force to thedrive region upon the head of the screw in a clock-wise direction drivesthe screw away from the drive region. The same force applied to thedrive region of an inverted screw featuring left-handed threads and adrive region disposed at the end of the threaded body opposite the head,however, drives the screw towards the drive region. As a result, anyobject (e.g., the surface of an accessory rail) positioned between thehead of the screw and the drive region is forced towards the driveregion. Alternatively, the threads may be right-handed.

When an accessory featuring complementary threaded holes is coupled tothe threaded body of the inverted screw, the screw is driven towards thecoupled accessory until the head of the screw and the accessory meet atthe intervening object. Absent any further space for the head of thescrew and/or accessory to travel along the length of the threaded bodyof the screw, driving the screw further applies an opposing force toeach side of the intervening object. As a result, the accessory iseffectively compressed securely against the intervening object by theinverted screw.

In some embodiments, method 100 may include the use of a firearmaccessory that itself couples with a further component. For instance,the firearm accessory may include a first coupling region that mateswith a second coupling region of an additional accessory component. Thefirst coupling region may be a female depression or hole. The femaledepression or hole may mate with a male member of an additionalaccessory component, such as a sling swivel. One exemplary sling swivelis the Uncle Mike's style QDS Quick Detachable Sling Swivel by VLTORWeapon Systems of Tucson, Ariz. The firearm accessory may also include arecoil lug.

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary system forcoupling a firearm accessory to a firearm. In an embodiment, system 200may include a firearm having an accessory rail 205. Formed in theaccessory rail 205 is a plurality of voids 210, each void 210 includinga first region 215 and a second region 220. Each first and second region215, 220 is defined by a distinctly sized hollow area. In someembodiments, first region 215 and second region 220 may be part of acommon void 210. The area of second region 220 may be less than the areaof first region 215. As a result, objects of a certain diameter may passthrough first region 215 without being able to pass through secondregion 220. Using a firearm with an accessory rail 205 that has aplurality of voids 210 may be particularly useful when the user desiresto couple the firearm with certain firearm accessories that featuremultiple threaded holes (discussed further below). For illustrativepurposes, the figures disclosed herein depict embodiments wherein theaccessory rail is a KeyMod™ rail. Persons of ordinary skill in the artwill readily recognize, however, that the methods and systems disclosedherein may apply to many other types of accessory rails, such asstandard Picatinny rails, modified Picatinny rails, or other modularexternal accessory rails or rails with keyhole configurations apart fromthe KeyMod™ rail that receive firearm accessories.

System 200 may further include a coupling member 225. Coupling member225 may include a head 230 attached to a threaded body 235. Head 230 mayor may not include a drive region or other interface for a screwdriveror other tool. As will be discussed in more detail below, couplingmember 225 has a drive region 240 at the distal end of the threaded body235 rather than at the head 230 as would be the case in a traditional orconventional screw. As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A,head 230 may have a diameter or major dimension that fits through firstregion 215 of void 210 but not through second region 220 of void 210.Head 230 may be a flat disc or sheet, a beveled or tapered region, orany other suitable geometric structure.

Threaded body 235 may include the above-noted drive region 240 disposedat an end opposite the head 230 (i.e., a the distal end of the threadedbody 235). For instance, in one embodiment, coupling member 225 may bean inverted screw or similar fastening device. Drive region 240 mayinclude a female depression, socket, or hole that mates with acorrespondingly shaped male member, such as the head of a hex or Allenwrench, six lobe drive, screwdriver, or other suitable driving tool (notshown).

System 200 may further include a firearm accessory 245. Firearmaccessory 245 may include a threaded hole 250. Threaded hole 250 mayhave a diameter and thread complementary to the diameter and thread ofthreaded body 235 of coupling member 225. In some embodiments, firearmaccessory 245 may include a plurality of threaded holes 250. As notedabove, providing a firearm with an accessory rail 205 that has multiplevoids 210 may be particularly useful when firearm accessory 245 featuresmultiple threaded holes. For illustrative purposes, FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2Cdepict known mounting arrangements wherein the firearm accessory is asling mount. It should be clearly understood, however, that the methodsand systems may also be used with any other suitable firearm accessory,such as a flashlight, a scope, an optical aiming device (e.g., aninfrared/laser sight), a bipod, a grip, a supplemental Picatinny railpanel, or a supplemental modular external accessory rail panel thatmates with firearm accessories (e.g., a supplemental Key Mod™ railpanel).

In operation, a user may use system 100 to couple accessory 245 toaccessory rail 205 of a firearm by first inserting the head of thecoupling member 225 through the first region 215 of the void 210. Next,the user may move the threaded body 235 of the coupling member 225 intothe second region 220 of the void 210 at step 140. With respect to theembodiment shown in FIG. 2, the user may simply slide the couplingmember 225 over into the second region 220 of the void 210. The user maythen position the firearm accessory 245 such that the threaded body 235of the coupling member 225 protrudes into the threaded hole 250 of thefirearm accessory 245. Once the firearm accessory 245 and couplingmember 225 are aligned, the user may drive the threaded body 235 of thecoupling member 225 into the threaded hole 250 of the firearm accessorysuch that the coupling member 225 and firearm accessory are compressedagainst the accessory rail.

In some embodiments, the complementary threads of threaded body 235 andthreaded hole 250 may be left-handed threads. The threads ofconventional screws are designed such that the application of arotational force to the drive region upon the head of the screw in aclock-wise direction drives the screw away from the drive region. Thesame force applied to drive region 240 of coupling member 225 featuringleft-handed threads and drive region 240 disposed at the end of threadedbody 235 opposite head 230, however, drives coupling member 225 towardsdrive region 240. As a result, any object (e.g., a portion of accessoryrail 205) positioned between head 230 of coupling member 225 and driveregion 240 is forced towards drive region 240. Alternatively, thethreads may be right-handed.

In such embodiments, when accessory 245 featuring complementary threadedhole 250 is coupled to threaded body 235 of coupling member 225,coupling member 225 is driven towards the coupled accessory until head230 and accessory 245 are each left without any further room to travelalong the length of threaded body 235 of coupling member 225. As aresult, driving coupling member 225 any further applies an opposingforce to each side of the intervening portion of accessory rail 205 suchthat firearm accessory 245 is effectively compressed securely againstaccessory rail 205.

FIG. 2B is a side view of an exemplary system for coupling various typesof firearm accessories to a firearm. In some embodiments, firearmaccessory 245 may itself couple with an additional component. Forinstance, firearm accessory 245 may include a first coupling region 255that mates with a second coupling region of an additional accessorycomponent (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2B, first coupling region 255may be a female depression or hole. The female depression or hole maymate with a male member of an additional accessory component, such as asling swivel (not shown). In other embodiments, first coupling region255 may be a male member and the additional component may include thecomplementary female depression or hole. Any number of other suitablecoupling mechanisms may likewise be used to couple accessory 245 to anadditional component.

Where the user desires to couple to the firearm a firearm accessory 245that itself couples to an additional component, it may be particularlybeneficial for first coupling region 255 to align with a region ofaccessory rail 205 having sufficient space to receive the secondcoupling region of the additional component. For example, as illustratedin FIG. 2B, firearm accessory 245 is a sling mount. Accessory rail 205is an exemplary form of an external modular rail system that has akeyhole configuration and is referred to above as a KeyMod™ rail. KeyMod™ rail 205 includes a plurality of spaced voids 210, each of whichhas a first region 215 and a second region 220 as discussed above. Voids210 may be shaped like keyholes. Accessory 245 includes two threadedholes 250, each of which has been coupled with a corresponding threadedbody 235 of a coupling member 225. Drive region 240 is visible at theend of each threaded body 235. In this particular exemplary embodiment,drive region 240 is a depression having a geometry that receives acorrespondingly shaped end of a hex or Allen wrench.

Threaded holes 250 of accessory 245 are spaced such that when threadedholes 250 may each be aligned with second region 220 of a void 210.First coupling region 255 may be spaced between threaded holes 250 suchthat when each threaded hole 250 is aligned with a second region 220 ofa void 210, first coupling region 255 is aligned with first region 215of a void 210. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, when coupledto KeyMod™ rail 205, sling mount 245 spans two voids 210. The threadedholes 250 couple with the coupling members 225 through the secondregions 220 of the two voids 210, and the first coupling region 255aligns with first region 215 of the left void 210 to form a continuouscollective void through which the second coupling region of the slingswivel may couple to accessory 245. In other embodiments, the accessory245 may span three or more voids, with the coupling region 255 aligningwith a second region 220 of one of the middle voids 210.

Firearm accessory 245 may further include a recoil lug 260. Recoil lug260 may be spaced from threaded hole 250 such that, when firearmaccessory 245 is properly coupled to accessory rail 205, recoil lug 260rests snugly against the inner edge of a void 210 of accessory rail 205.In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 2B, recoil lug 260 ishidden from view beneath the far left edge of accessory 245 (against theinner edge of first region 215 of void 210). In some embodiments, recoillug 260 may be slightly offset from the inner edge of void 210 such thata user must apply pressure to recoil lug 260 to make it “snap” intoplace against the inner edge. Recoil lug 260 may help to stabilizefirearm accessory 245 against natural component stress caused by firearmrecoil. More particularly, recoil lug 260 may help to transfer some ofthe stress forces caused by firearm recoil away from coupling member225. In that way, recoil lug 260 may help to prolong the life ofcoupling member 225, which like all mechanical parts may be naturallyinclined to weaken over time after heavy use.

FIGS. 3-28 illustrate various configurations and constructions of afirearm accessory mounting system 300 according to the presentinvention. The accessory mounting system 300 may be used for couplingvarious types of accessories 245 to a firearm accessory rail 205 thatincludes a plurality of elongated slots 301. In the illustratedembodiment, the mounting system 300 includes a fastener assembly 302that includes a mounting fastener 304, a mounting assembly 306, andmounting bolt 308.

The mounting assembly 306 is coupled to a firearm accessory 245 andincludes a cavity defined therein. The mounting fastener 304 extendsoutwardly from the mounting assembly 306 and is positioned within thecavity. The mounting fastener 304 is configure to rotate ninety degrees(90°) between a locked position (in which aligns with the slot 301 andcan pass through the slot 301) and an unlocked position (in which itextends across the slot 301) to facilitate coupling the firearmaccessory 245 to the firearm accessory rail 205. The mounting bolt 308is rotatably coupled to the mounting fastener 304 for rotating themounting fastener 304 between the locked position and the unlockedposition. In one embodiment, the mounting system 300 includes a pair offastener assemblies 302. In another embodiment, the mounting assembly306 may include any suitable number of fastener assemblies 302 to couplethe firearm accessory 245 to the firearm and/or the firearm accessoryrail 205.

With reference to FIG. 8, the mounting assembly 306 includes an innersurface that defines a mounting assembly cavity 310 that extends betweena first open end and an opposite second open end, and is sized andshaped to receive at least a portion of the mounting fastener 304therein. In one embodiment, the mounting assembly 306 is unitarilyformed with the firearm accessory 245 such that the mounting assembly306 and the firearm accessory 245 form a unitary body. In anotherembodiment, the mounting assembly 306 is coupled to the firearmaccessory 245 with a weld, friction fit, and/or any suitable method ofcoupling the mounting assembly 306 to the firearm accessory 245. Forexample, in one embodiment, the firearm accessory 245 may include acavity that is sized and shaped to receive the mounting assembly 306therein.

Referring now to FIGS. 8, 10, and 12 the inner surface of the mountingassembly 306 includes a plurality of interior walls 312 that define themounting assembly cavity 310. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12,the plurality of interior walls 312 includes a first sidewall 314, asecond sidewall 316, and a pair of opposing endwalls 318 that extendbetween the first sidewall 314 and the second sidewall 316. Each of thefirst and second sidewalls 314, 316 includes a substantially planarsurface that extends between the pair of endwalls 318 along alongitudinal axis 320 and includes a length measure along thelongitudinal axis 320. Each endwall 318 includes an arcuate surface thatextends between the opposing sidewalls 314, 316 along a transverse axis322 and includes an arc length measured generally along the transverseaxis 322. In one embodiment, the first and second sidewalls 314, 316 areof include the same length and are spaced a distance apart along thetransverse axis 322, with the sidewalls 314, 316 substantially parallelsuch the mounting assembly cavity 310 has a substantially rectangularshape with accurate ends.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the mounting fastener 304 includes a fastenerbody 324 that extends along a centerline axis 326. The fastener body 324includes an inner surface that defines an interior cavity 328 thatextends between a first open end 330 and a second open end 332 along thecenterline axis 326. The interior cavity 328 is sized and shaped toreceive the mounting bolt 308 therethrough. The inner surface includes athreaded surface that is defined along a portion of the interior cavity328 and is configured to engage in a threaded outer surface of themounting bolt 308.

In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener body 324 includes a lockingassembly 334 and a positioning assembly 336. The locking assembly 334 isdefined at the second open end 332. The locking assembly 334 includes apair of flanges 338 that extend radially outwardly from the centerlineaxis 326. Each flange 338 includes an outer surface that is sized andshaped to contact an outer surface of the firearm accessory rail 205 tofacilitate coupling the firearm accessory 245 to the firearm accessoryrail 205. The positioning assembly 336 extends outwardly from thelocking assembly 334 along the centerline axis 326. In the illustratedembodiment, the positioning assembly 336 includes a contact portion 340that includes an outer surface extending from the first open end 330towards the locking assembly 334 along the centerline axis 326. Theouter surface of the contact portion 340 includes a plurality of contactsurfaces 344 that extend parallel to the centerline axis 326. Eachcontact surface 344 includes a substantially planar surface that issized and shaped to contact an interior wall 312 of the mountingassembly 306. In one embodiment, the positioning assembly 336 mayinclude one or more arcuate surfaces 346 that extend between contactsurfaces 344. In one embodiment, the contact portion 340 may include afirst contact surface 348 and a second contact surface 350. The firstcontact surface 348 includes a substantially planar surface that isparallel to a longitudinal axis 320. The second contact surface 350includes a substantially planar surface that is parallel to a transverseaxis 322 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 320. In theillustrated embodiment, the first contact surface 348 is orientatedsubstantially perpendicular to the second contact surface 350. In oneembodiment, the positioning assembly 336 includes a pair of firstcontact surfaces 344 that are orientated parallel to each other and arespaced a distance apart along the transverse axis 322. In addition, thepositioning assembly 336 may include a pair of second contact surfaces350 that are orientated parallel to each other and are spaced a distanceapart along the longitudinal axis 320. In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 17, the mounting fastener 304 may include a cylindrical portion 352that extends between the locking assembly 334 and the positioningassembly 336.

In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting fastener 304 is positionedat the first open end of the mounting assembly cavity 310 and themounting bolt 308 is positioned at the second open end of the mountingassembly cavity 310 and is inserted through the interior cavity 328 ofthe fastener body 324. The mounting assembly cavity 310 is sized andshaped to receive the mounting fastener 304 therein and to allow for thepartial rotation of the mounting fastener 304 with the mounting fastener304 positioned within the mounting assembly cavity 310. For example,with reference to FIGS. 3-5 and 24, the mounting fastener 304 isconfigured to rotate between a locked position 354 and an unlockedposition 356 when the mounting fastener 304 is positioned within themounting assembly cavity 310. In one embodiment, the mounting fastener304 is configured to rotate about the centerline axis 326 through a 90degree rotational angle between the locked position 354 and the unlockedposition 356.

During installation, a rotation of the mounting bolt 308 in a firstrotational direction, such as a clockwise direction, causes the mountingfastener 304 to rotate from the unlocked position 356 towards the lockedposition 354. As the mounting fastener 304 is rotated in the firstrotational direction the first contact surface 348 contacts the firstsidewall 314 to position the mounting fastener 304 in the lockedposition 354 and to prevent additional rotation in the first direction.As the mounting bolt 308 continues rotation in the first rotationaldirection, the mounting bolt 308 is further inserted within the mountingfastener interior cavity 328 causing the mounting fastener 304 to movetowards the mounting bolt 308, and causing the locking flange 338 tocontact the firearm accessory rail 205 and the mounting bolt 308 tocontact the mounting assembly 306 to couple the firearm accessory 245 tothe firearm accessory rail 205 with a friction fit. In addition, arotation of the mounting bolt 308 in an opposite second rotationaldirection, such as a counter-clockwise direction, causes the mountingfastener 304 to rotate from the locked position 354 towards the unlockedposition 356. As the mounting fastener 304 is rotated in the secondrotational direction the second contact surface 350 contacts the secondsidewall 316 to position the mounting fastener 304 in the unlockedposition 356 and to prevent additional rotation in the second direction.

Referring to FIGS. 22-28, and particularly to FIG. 27, in oneembodiment, the mounting fastener 304 may include a positioning assembly336 that includes a pair of positioning flanges 358 that extendoutwardly from the centerline axis 326. The mounting fastener 304 alsoincludes a locking assembly 334 that includes a pair of locking flanges338. A cylindrical relief section 359 connects the locking assembly 334and positioning assembly 336 in spaced-apart relation to each other. Thelocking flanges 338 and positioning flanges 358 extend parallel to eachother. In this regard, the mounting fastener 304 may be thought of as adouble-ended T-nut or a barbell-shaped fastener having two T-nut ends.The locking flanges 338 (which extend through the slot 301 in thefirearm accessory rail 205 and are turned 90° across the slot 301) arenot as wide as the positioning flanges 358 in the illustratedembodiment, although in other constructions the flanges 338, 358 couldbe of the same size.

With reference now to FIGS. 24 and 26, the mounting assembly 306includes a positioning slot 360 defined along the inner surface of themounting assembly cavity 310. The positioning slot 360 is wide enough toreceive the positioning assembly 336 therein when inserted from the topof the mounting assembly 306 with the positioning flanges 358 in thelocked position 354. The positioning slot 360 extends under the surfaceof the mounting assembly 306, such that when the positioning flanges 358are turned 90° the unlocked position 356, the positioning flanges 358are captured within the mounting assembly 306.

The positioning slot 360 includes a pair of shoulders 362 that extendoutwardly from a slot inner surface and are sized and shaped to contactthe positioning flanges 358 to facilitate positioning the mountingfastener 304 at the unlocked position 356 and the locked position 354.For example, as the mounting fastener 304 is rotated in the firstrotational direction, the first contact surface 348 contacts a firstshoulder of the pair of shoulders 362 to position the mounting fastener304 in the locked position 354 and to prevent additional rotation in thefirst direction. As the mounting fastener 304 is rotated in the secondrotational direction, the second contact surface 350 contacts a secondshoulder to prevent additional rotation in the second direction.

The mounting assembly 360 is therefore assembled and installed on afirearm accessory rail 205 by first installing the mounting fasteners304 into the positioning slots 360 in the locked position 354. Then themounting fasteners 304 are turned 90° to the unlocked position 356 inwhich the mounting fasteners 304 are captured in the mounting assembly360. With the mounting fasteners 304 in the unlocked position 356, theycan be passed through the slots 301 in the accessory rail 205. Amounting bolt 308 can then be threaded into the threaded interior cavity328 in each of the mounting fasteners 304 (or the mounting bolts 308could have been threaded into the cavities 328 prior to insertionthrough the slots 301). The mounting bolts 308 are turned, whichinitially causes the mounting fasteners 304 to rotate 90° into thelocked position 354 across the slots 301. Further rotation of the bolts308 sandwiches the mounting assembly 360 and positioning assembly 336between the rail 205 and the heads of the mounting bolts 308.

Referring to FIGS. 14-15, in one embodiment, the mounting fastener 304includes a semi-diamond shape protrusion on the nut is to allowex-amount of rotation (90 degrees) in the mounting slot width, makingsure the nut is rotated to a fixed position, for the nut's T-head to belocked in the position. Without the diamond stock to stop rotation, thestandard nut would keep rotating and never be allowed to tighten down.The mounting fastener 304 would reduce the chance for the nut to rotatefully with in the mounting slot. This is done by making the diamondprotrusion longer, making it long enough to interface to a mating sloton the accessory itself. The mounting fastener 304 allows only 90 degreerotation, and provides extra security from the nut over rotating in theslot. The nut interfaces with the rail slot and the Accessory slot,which should eliminate any unwanted rotation.

Referring to FIGS. 17-18, in one embodiment, the mounting fastener 304is not required to contact the inner surface of the rail to secure theaccessory to the firearm and strictly uses the accessory interface slotto allow a 90 degree rotation. Referring to FIGS. 27-28, in oneembodiment, the mounting fastener 304 does not include a diamond shape.

The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. Manyvariations of the invention will become apparent to those of skill inthe art upon review of this disclosure. While the present invention hasbeen described in connection with a variety of embodiments, thesedescriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to theparticular forms set forth herein. To the contrary, the presentdescriptions are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, andequivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claim and otherwise appreciated byone of ordinary skill in the art.

Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possiblein light of the above teachings, all of which are within the scope ofconcepts disclosed and claimed in this specification. In addition, thereference numerals in the claims are merely for convenience and are notto be read in any way as limiting.

What is claimed is:
 1. A firearm accessory mounting system for couplinga firearm accessory to a firearm, comprising: a mounting assemblycoupled to a firearm accessory; a mounting fastener extending outwardlyfrom the mounting assembly and configured to rotate relative to themounting assembly between a locked position and an unlocked position,the mounting fastener including a locking assembly configured to contacta firearm handguard to facilitate coupling the firearm accessory to thefirearm handguard, and a positioning assembly positioned within a cavitydefined within the mounting assembly; and a mounting bolt rotatablycoupled to the mounting fastener for rotating the mounting fastenerbetween the locked position and the unlocked position, wherein thepositioning assembly includes a contact surface configured to engage asidewall of the cavity when the mounting fastener is in the lockedposition, wherein the mounting fastener is rotatable from the unlockedposition toward the locked position in a locking direction, wherein themounting fastener is rotatable from the locked position toward theunlocked position in an unlocking direction opposite the lockingdirection, and wherein the engagement between the contact surface andthe sidewall inhibits rotation of the mounting fastener in the lockingdirection beyond the locked position.
 2. The firearm accessory mountingsystem of claim 1, wherein the mounting fastener includes a cylindricalrelief section spanning between the locking assembly and the positioningassembly.
 3. The firearm accessory mounting system of claim 2, whereinthe mounting fastener defines a barbell shape.
 4. The firearm accessorymounting system of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly is configuredto align with an elongated slot on the firearm handguard when themounting fastener is in the unlocked position such that the lockingassembly can pass through the slot, and wherein the locking assembly isconfigured to extend across the elongated slot when the mountingfastener is in the locked position to prevent the locking assembly frompassing through the slot.
 5. A firearm accessory mounting system forcoupling a firearm accessory to a firearm, comprising: a mountingfastener extending outwardly from the firearm accessory, the mountingfastener including a locking assembly and a positioning assembly; and amounting bolt rotatably coupled to the mounting fastener, wherein themounting fastener is rotatable between an unlocked position, in whichthe locking assembly is insertable through an elongated slot in thefirearm handguard, and a locked position, in which the locking assemblyis prevented from passing through the elongated slot, in response torotation of the mounting bolt, wherein the mounting fastener isrotatable from the unlocked position toward the locked position in alocking direction, wherein the mounting fastener is rotatable from thelocked position toward the unlocked position in an unlocking directionopposite the locking direction, and wherein the positioning assembly isengageable with the firearm accessory to inhibit further rotation of themounting fastener in the locking direction when the mounting fastener isin the locked position.
 6. The firearm accessory mounting system ofclaim 5, wherein the positioning assembly is engageable with the firearmaccessory to inhibit further rotation of the mounting fastener in theunlocking direction when the mounting fastener is in the unlockedposition.
 7. The firearm accessory mounting system of claim 5, whereinthe locked position is offset from the unlocked position by 90 degrees.8. The firearm accessory mounting system of claim 5, wherein themounting fastener includes a cylindrical relief section spanning betweenthe locking assembly and the positioning assembly.
 9. The firearmaccessory mounting system of claim 8, wherein the mounting fastenerdefines a barbell shape.
 10. A firearm accessory mounting system forcoupling a firearm accessory to a firearm, comprising: a mountingfastener extending outwardly from the firearm accessory, the mountingfastener including a locking assembly and a positioning assembly; and amounting bolt rotatably coupled to the mounting fastener, wherein themounting fastener is rotatable between an unlocked position, in whichthe locking assembly is insertable through an elongated slot in thefirearm handguard, and a locked position, in which the locking assemblyis prevented from passing through the elongated slot, in response torotation of the mounting bolt, wherein the mounting fastener isrotatable from the unlocked position toward the locked position in alocking direction, wherein the positioning assembly is engageable withthe firearm accessory to inhibit further rotation of the mountingfastener in the locking direction when the mounting fastener is in thelocked position, wherein the mounting fastener includes a cylindricalrelief section spanning between the locking assembly and the positioningassembly, and wherein the mounting fastener defines a barbell shape.